NameCensus.

UK surname

Rootham

In the 1881 census there were 155 people recorded with the Rootham surname, ranking it #15,174 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 178, ranked #21,160, down from #15,174 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Risley, Rushden and Cambridge: St Andrew the Less, St Andrew the Great, Holy Trinity, St Benedict. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Reading, Huntingdonshire and Peterborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rootham is 211 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 14.8%.

1881 census count

155

Ranked #15,174

Modern count

178

2016, ranked #21,160

Peak year

1901

211 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rootham had 155 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,174 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 178 in 2016, ranked #21,160.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 211 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Rootham surname distribution map

The map shows where the Rootham surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Rootham surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rootham over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 109 #16,212
1861 historical 110 #19,562
1881 historical 155 #15,174
1891 historical 167 #17,006
1901 historical 211 #14,647
1911 historical 205 #14,733
1997 modern 177 #19,018
1998 modern 186 #18,918
1999 modern 187 #18,999
2000 modern 188 #18,916
2001 modern 185 #18,840
2002 modern 191 #18,817
2003 modern 183 #19,152
2004 modern 177 #19,662
2005 modern 178 #19,535
2006 modern 186 #19,140
2007 modern 187 #19,271
2008 modern 179 #20,015
2009 modern 186 #19,946
2010 modern 188 #20,235
2011 modern 185 #20,288
2012 modern 169 #21,437
2013 modern 176 #21,237
2014 modern 179 #21,186
2015 modern 180 #20,997
2016 modern 178 #21,160

Geography

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Where Roothams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Risley, Rushden, Cambridge: St Andrew the Less, St Andrew the Great, Holy Trinity, St Benedict, Westbury-on-Trym, Henbury, Compton Greenfield and Harrold. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Reading, Huntingdonshire, Peterborough and East Northamptonshire. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Risley Bedfordshire
2 Rushden Northamptonshire
3 Cambridge: St Andrew the Less, St Andrew the Great, Holy Trinity, St Benedict Cambridgeshire
4 Westbury-on-Trym, Henbury, Compton Greenfield Gloucestershire
5 Harrold Bedfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Reading 017 Reading
2 Huntingdonshire 003 Huntingdonshire
3 Peterborough 019 Peterborough
4 Peterborough 017 Peterborough
5 East Northamptonshire 002 East Northamptonshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rootham

These lists show first names that appear often with the Rootham surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rootham

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Rootham, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Rootham surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Rootham household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Rootham is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Rootham is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Rootham falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Rootham is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Rootham, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Rootham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rootham surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Bedfordshire leads with 50 Roothams recorded in 1881 and an index of 63.87x.

County Total Index
Bedfordshire 50 63.87x
Northamptonshire 26 18.28x
Cambridgeshire 19 19.84x
Gloucestershire 16 5.40x
Huntingdonshire 14 46.64x
Yorkshire 10 0.67x
Northumberland 8 3.56x
Middlesex 7 0.46x
Kent 2 0.39x
Devon 1 0.32x
Norfolk 1 0.43x
Warwickshire 1 0.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Riseley in Bedfordshire leads with 38 Roothams recorded in 1881 and an index of 7600.00x.

Place Total Index
Riseley 38 7600.00x
Westbury On Trym 16 159.20x
Rushden 11 578.95x
Newcastle On Tyne St 8 68.61x
Harrold 7 1320.75x
Little Harrowden 7 1627.91x
St Andrewthe Great 7 564.52x
Whittlesey St Mary St 7 209.58x
Bury 4 2222.22x
Chesterton 4 135.59x
Clerkenwell London 4 11.21x
Glatton 4 1379.31x
Linthorpe 4 44.74x
Ramsey 4 166.67x
Wetherby 4 408.16x
Lamport 3 3333.33x
Wellingborough 3 41.96x
Houghton Regis 2 160.00x
Kempston 2 112.36x
Kimbolton 2 317.46x
Peterborough 2 19.42x
Wyke In Bradford 2 74.63x
Barnstaple 1 20.24x
Canterbury St George 1 161.29x
Fulham London 1 4.56x
Hampstead London 1 4.25x
Leamington Priors 1 10.66x
Orpington 1 63.29x
Sandringham 1 2500.00x
St Giles Cambridge 1 80.65x
St Marylebone London 1 1.24x
Woburn 1 147.06x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Rootham surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Rootham surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 14
John 9
Daniel 6
George 6
Joseph 5
Samuel 4
Thomas 4
Henry 3
Lewis 3
Arthur 2
Frank 2
Frederick 2
Herbert 2
Alfred 1
Amos 1
Bani 1
Charles 1
Christophr 1
Cyril 1
Dan 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
Harry 1
Horace 1
Howard 1
James 1
Jno. 1
Percival 1
Percy 1
Ralph 1
Stanley 1
Sydney 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Rootham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rootham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 155 people were recorded with the Rootham surname. That placed it at #15,174 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rootham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 178 in 2016. That gives Rootham a modern rank of #21,160.

What does the Rootham map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Rootham bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.